Automatic boiler water deconcentration system



Jan. 9, 1934- T. B. ALLARDICE ET AL 1,942,467

AUTOMATIC BOILER WATER DECONCENTRATION SYSTEM Filed Deo.

INVENTOR Thomas .8. //ara//te BY Mamas [0g/#m7 6;@ A

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED u y 1,942,4,67H4v y AUToMA'rIoBoILEnlWA-TER lDE'GONCEN- TRATIQN s YsTnM- Y The invention relates to theart of stationary', steam boiler operation; and more particularlyto the removal of the sludge or sediment present' and deposited in a boiler duringits operation', as

well as to the recovery of a substantialzportion of 1 1 layout ofv the novelsystem and shown more or less the waste heat involved in such removal..

We are aware that it has heretofore `beenfproposed to periodically blow ofi and clean steam boilers as by entirely or partly emptying the same, and provision hasalso been made for partially- Ymud-'drum -11 from which sludge or sediment is conserving the thermal units containedl in the waste. In contradistinction to 'such system, the novel system of the present application involves and has for its object a substantiallycontinuous cleaning of, or blow-oli` of, the sediment or sludgefrom a stationary steam boiler, with a. very high-- of the thermal'unitsefficiency in conservation involved. l A further object of the invention resides in the arrangement whereby a portion of the water :resulting from the blow-off operation is recovered" and returned to the boiler, reducing proportionately thereby any hardness of the feed water with which it is subsequently mixed.

To this end, the invention contemplates the more or less continuous removal, as from a muddrum or from the water level of a boiler, of the sludge and sediment deposited and present therein, said removal being in conformity with the prevailing water level of said boiler, as well as the feed Water supply thereto and to which feed water, moreover, the recovered heat is imparted.

In carrying out the invention, the blow-01T from the boiler is introduced to a sealed separator container or flash tank wherein the solid matter separates from the vapor, the latter being withdrawn from said tank by means of a jet condenser operated by the boiler feed water. The vapor thus condensed mingles with said feed water and also imparts thereto its thermal units, said feed water then being delivered to a suitable feed water heater or tank and removed therefrom by a boiler pump supplying the preheated feed water to the boiler.

' Provision is made, also, to shut off automatically the blow-off operation in the event that the feed water supply resulting from the aforesaid condensation operation exceeds an amount beyond the requirements of the boiler.

As the sediment accumulates in the flash tank, provision is made for periodically discharging the same therefrom, as through an atmospheric seal connected therewith and controlled by a suitable oat device. It will be appreciated, therefore,

V that the aforesaid operation is conducted entirely automatically and without interfering inv any way with thecontinuous operationof the boiler itself.

The'nature of theinvention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, which sets forth adiagrammatically. Y Y

Referringtothedrawing, 10 ldesignates a steam boiler of the stationary type and of any well, knownorspecial design provided with'theusual to be removed as the same accumulates; or, as is w e1lv understood,y the matter may be skimmed from the'water level in the steam drum, depending on the nature of solids in solution. A blow- 01T connection 12 is to this end taken from said drum with'interposed check valve 13; and a connection 14 with. valve 15 is made thereto for manual operation of the blow-ofi'.

In accordance with the invention, however, this is to'be 'effected automatically; and to this endathe blow-off connection 12 is continued to a suitably sealed separator container or flash tank 16. The latter is equipped with a discharge pipe 17 of suflicient height, say 36 feet, to effect an atmospheric seal of the tank; and a float 18 of said tank controls through the operation of a valve 19 thereby the discharge of accumulated sludge, etc.

The pipe 17 may dip into and discharge into a drain tank 20 and from which the waste is disposed of in any convenient manner.

Normally, the connection between the drum 11 and tank 16 is open so that said drum will be continuously blown of its solid matter; but in order to obviate discharge under low water level conditions of the boiler 10, a regulator valve 21 of well known or special design is interposed in the connection 12 and when open, as shown, will permit the discharge to take place. However, provision is made to close this valve automatically as by means of a pressure generating inember 22 of any well known or special design piped to the boiler drum and operating to vary the control pressure upon valve 21 in manner well understood. The discharge to tank 16 will thus be in conformity with thev water level of boiler 10 so that there will be no danger of draining said boiler to a dangerous level.

Tank 16, moreover, communicates with a jet condenser device 25 through the pipe connection 26 in which is interposed a check-valve 27; and the vapor contained in said tank 16 may thus be withdrawn therefrom, the sludge and sediment entering said tank settling in the bottom thereof and the separation being assisted by the interposition of a bafe 28 within the said tank.

It is preferred to have condenser discharge into a feed water heater 30 so as to conserve the Water of condensation and recover the heat units thereof, said water also thus reducing in hardness.

and a float 32 in the feed water heater controlsa valve 33 of said connection to regulate the water level of said heater.

It will be appreciated, however, that if the water for operating the jet condenser 25 is thus shut off or materially reduced by valve 33', itwilli become necessary to also shut off or reduceY the supply of blow-off to tank 16; and to this, andi a.

further regulator valve 35, similar to the valve 21, is included' in theline between. said valve`21 and the-tank 16. When open as indicated',A free discharge is. had. to. said. tank; but by taking a pressure connection 34. thereto from line 31E, a

variable pressure eifect is had. thereon tofcontrolf said valve 35 in accordance with the action.r of' float valve 33. By this expedient, itwill be possible to also. shut off autonfiaticallyV or regulate the amount. ofv blow-off from boilei-` 1.0 in` con.- formity with the feed water requirements of. the

boiler, that is tosay, thelevel of the-water nvfeed-r water tank 30. The water inY this tankV is'delivered in the usual manner't'o the boilerl through. ai connection 36 from a feed water pumpf37 con.- nected withv said tank 30 through pipef.

The entire action of the boiler blow-oif'operation isthus automatically accomplished. and. is in conformity with both the boiler water. levelE and the feed water requirements ofs the'iboilen.

while discharge of sediment or sludgeV and the like is substantially. continuously` effectedI from the boiler; and the waste water recovered in: the

separation is returned tothe boiler together with a large proportion of the heat units lost in the blow-off operation.

It will be apparent, of course, that a battery of boilers may be connected to the flash tank 16 as through a header connection 39 between the valves21-v and 35, each boiler in this instance being provided with'. an automaticshut-off valve. similar to the valve 21.

' We claim:

1. The combination with a boiler having a blowoff connection anda feed water supply; of a sealed separator container receiving the blowoff from said boiler and provided with a drain,

a jet condenser communicating with said sepavratorcontainer tov withdraw the vapor therefrom and operated by the feed water prior to its deliveryr to the boiler, means to regulate the blow-off totheV separator container in conformity with the water level of the boiler, and means beyond the first-named blow-off regulating means to regulate the? blow-off to the separator container in conformity with they water supplyv to the jet condenser.A 2; In combination: a'boilerand a blow-off connectiontherefrom, a. valve included' in said connection, means automaticallyv regulating the opreration'of' 'saidl valve in conformity tothe boiler water level; a sealed separator' container` connected through said valve to the blow-off con.-

nection,. a jet. condenser device communicating withfthe cont'ainerfor removingivapor therefrorm.

a feed. water` connection. to. the jet condenserfor operating the same', a. feedA water heater tankv receiving, the. heated water' from theA said jet condenser and aoatmember in the feed= water heatertank, a; valve inthe i'eed water'connection' controlled by said' iioat memben, and' a further valve in said blow-off connection located betweenI 'the' blow-off connection val'v'e andthe separator containerr and controlled by the'pressure in-thef 

